༺ The Terminally Ill Boy ༻
The day after little Miss Moran, someone that I didn’t even know I had made a promise with, came to my mansion…
“Heup, hab…”
“……..”
I was casually sitting on the sofa in my hideout, lost in thought while watching Moran hurriedly stuffing a sandwich into her mouth.
‘I was taken aback when I first saw her but… the more I think, the better this whole situation seems for me.’
Excluding Professor Moriarty, who appeared as the final boss in the game, Celestia Moran was a powerful player, on par with Inspector Lestrade.
Even excluding the silent air sniper that she used in the original, her sniping was at a level that was impossible to even perceive by human standards. Among the various main characters of the game, only a select few could counter her sniping.
“… Hiccup.”
She was such a formidable character… However, this very same person was now looking at me cautiously while shoving a sandwich into her mouth and hiccupping like no tomorrow.
Even now, when I would barely bat an eyelid seeing the absurdest of things, this sight felt oddly amusing to me.
– Swish…
“….!”
As I reached out my hand toward her with that thought in mind, Moran’s eyes widened in shock, her body freezing on the spot.
Due to the harsh treatment she had received in her life, perhaps she had developed a trauma? That could probably explain why whenever something unexpected happened, she would freeze like a startled rabbit…
– Pat…
For some unknown reason, feeling a twinge of affection for her in the depths of my heart, I softly smiled and gently placed my hand on her messy hair that was covering her beautiful eyes.
“…….?”
As I gently stroked Moran’s head, she looked up at me with a bewildered expression on her face, her mouth slightly open in confusion.
“A hunting dog should eat well to hunt efficiently.”
Perhaps she wasn’t used to such warm treatment, for an awkward expression arose on her face as she began munching on her sandwich again.
“So, from now on, if you leave any food behind, you’ll be punished, okay?”
My heart was about to soften after seeing her pitiable state, but I quickly pulled myself together and whispered those dark words to her in a low voice.
“When you grow up, you will have to protect me.”
She was someone who would later grow up to be the second most dangerous woman in all of London after Professor Moriarty.
‘I have to make her completely obedient to me.’
If I didn’t firmly establish the hierarchy right now, it was certain that I would get devoured by her in the end.
“Answer me…”
“… Understood.”
As I gently lifted the chin of the girl who was chewing on her sandwich, Moran replied with a blank expression on her face.
“Good.”
“………”
With a cold smile, I stroked her head once more. Moran, who had been sitting quietly till then, closed her eyes slowly, accepting my touch.
‘… Perhaps, do I have a knack for this kind of thing?’
“Pfft…”
Seeing her submissive demeanor, oddly enough, I felt like a calm-headed trainer. As I was inwardly pleased by this reaction, smiling to myself in satisfaction, a chuckle laced with mockery sounded next to me.
“… Why are you laughing?”
“No, it’s just… it’s too funny.”
Princess Clay, who had been cleaning the floor as instructed, responded with a voice tinged with amusement in response to my question.
“How can I not laugh when the guy who confidently said that he would tame the girl is accumulating failure after failure on a daily basis at that aspect?”
“What nonsense are you talking about?”
“Why not just leave her to me?”
While I was feeling frustrated that she insinuated that I wasn’t doing a good job, Joan Clay whispered to me with a dark smile on her face.
“Just give me a week, and I can make her kneel perfectly in front of you…”
“I’ll pass on that.”
“Fine then. Just live like that and die quickly, I guess.”
Suspecting something dubious from her demeanor, I immediately shook my head, denying her proposal. She heaved a deep sigh and resumed her cleaning, shaking her head back and forth.
“… Anyway, it seems like he doesn’t want to accept my goodwill. Oh well…”
She mumbled with a pout. It might look cute, but one shouldn’t be fooled by that expression of hers.
She was the fourth smartest woman in London after all.
If I carelessly entrusted Moran to her, she might just turn the little girl against me.
‘There’s a long way to go…’
Sighing at the situation where I couldn’t be lax even for a moment, I pulled my hand from Moran’s head and laid down on the sofa with my eyes closed.
– Tickle, tickle…
“…….?”
Remaining still, I suddenly felt a tingling sensation in my ear.
“Miss Blaze?”
Before I realized it, Silver Blaze had taken the seat next to me and was nibbling at my ear and wagging her tail from side to side.
“Hehe.”
When I gazed at her with a puzzled look, she shyly covered my face with her tail.
“… You still smell the same, Miss Blaze.”
“But I washed myself diligently with shampoo?”
She spoke with a surprised tone, brushing her tail aside gently.
“I prefer the scent of Miss Blaze over shampoo.”
– Swish…
Since Silver Blaze was completely obedient to me by now, such a tender treatment wasn’t much of a problem.
As a result, when I softly complimented her, something she may have rarely experienced in her whole life, the ears and tail of Silver Blaze drooped slowly in delight.
– Swoosh…
In that state, she lowered her head and gently rubbed her cheek against my chest.
“I’m happy, Master.”
A moment later, a soft voice came from within my embrace, it belonged to Blaze.
“I never knew a life of being enslaved could be this blissful.”
“… Is that so?”
“I so desperately want to share this joy with the people of London and my fellow demi-humans.”
“Oh.”
As I felt somewhat alarmed by her potentially dangerous remark, Silver Blaze suddenly raised her head to gaze intently at me.
“… But at the same time, I’m a bit anxious.”
“Why?”
There was a sense of unease evident in her expression.
But I wasn’t able to point my finger at the reason behind her anxiety…
“Do you feel unwell, Master?”
While I was absentmindedly scratching my head, Silver Blaze scrutinized my expression and asked.
“What do you mean…”
“I’ve lived my entire life in back alleys and on racetracks, witnessing countless deaths.”
Her gaze was darker than usual as she spoke.
“I hope I’m mistaken, but right now, Master, you…”
“………”
As she continued speaking, Princess Clay, who had been cleaning the floor, stopped and listened intently to her words.
“… Are you really okay?”
Worried that she might have noticed my precarious state, I hastily interrupted Silver Blaze from speaking further.
“The devil has infinite ways to survive, don’t worry…”
“… That’s a relief.”
With a soft whisper, she finally showed a relieved expression.
“What’s making you so giddy?”
“I almost lost my will to live for a second there, so it’s such a relief…”
“……..”
“Please live a long life, Master.”
I asked in a calm tone, but the response that came was clearly unexpected.
“Because you’re the reason for my existence.”
Stunned by her response, she gently pressed her cheek to mine and then stood up from her seat in the next moment.
“Little lady~”
“… Y-Yes?”
“If you’re done eating, let’s bathe together~”
Silver Blaze took Moran’s hand, who was looking up at me with a subtle gaze in her eyes, and headed toward the bathroom.
“……….”
And then a deep silence ensued.
“… You.”
“………”
“Are you alright?”
Amidst the silence, I ignored Princess Clay’s words as my mind fell into deep thought.
‘I should definitely get a thorough examination.’
Suddenly, a significantly memorable system message that had appeared before me the previous day came to mind.
– Condition: Subdue all main characters within the time limit.
At the time, I had been overwhelmed with joy thinking that I’d found a way out of the fate of confinement and getting tamed by the dangerous women surrounding me, jumping up and down in joy.
However, once the excitement settled down, I started to get nervous and anxious. Pushing aside the fact that the difficulty level was utterly devastating, even if I had like ten copies of myself…
“… Within the time limit.”
… I couldn’t help but wonder just what the time limit referred to. Could it possibly be referring limits of this body?
“Hmm…”
Just because the time limit passed, it didn’t seem like I would really.
This body was already practically as good as dead and had even turned into that of a vampire.
However, what if my vitality ran out to the point where I couldn’t even properly move my body?
When that time came, wouldn’t a fate of confinement and being tamed, disguised as caregiving, await me?
‘… I need to find out for sure.’
I couldn’t just sit idly like this.
I had to undergo a thorough examination to find out how long this body could last.
The problem was that I couldn’t get examined by just any doctor.
The doctor needed to be highly skilled, be in a social position that I could moderately control, yet still have a conscience to keep the state of my body a secret.
If the condition of my body leaked out, the situation would become a real headache for me.
“… Huh? Where are you going?”
As I stood up from my seat, lost in thought, Princess Clay questioned me with a slight frown on her face.
“I’m going to see my fiancée.”
As I replied to her words laced with concern, her face began to turn cold in an instant.
“… Trash.”
“Haha.”
The time to give a proper explanation had already passed, so the only thing I could do… was to accept her response.
.
.
.
.
.
A few hours later, in front of 221B Baker Street—
“You… Why are you here?”
“It’s just a coincidence, Miss Watson.”
Rachel Watson, who was quietly trying to enter her boarding house, furrowed her brows when she noticed Isaac Adler approaching her.
“Why have you come at this hour?”
With that question, her demeanor quickly turned cold like frozen ice…
“Do you have any idea what Charlotte has been like lately because of you?”
“………..”
“After the Reigate case, she’s more or less become half a recluse. Of course, he was somewhat of a recluse to begin with…”
Isaac Adler tried to say something in response, but Watson’s cold voice continued, not leaving any leeway for interruption.
“The reason I remained silent all this time was because, while being with you, Holmes’ condition seemed to have improved. Knowing the days she was addicted to drugs and mana stones, I, as a doctor, couldn’t deny that fact.”
“……..”
“But now, even without drugs or mana poisoning, her condition is quite dire. It’s as if…
“… I’m just at a loss for words.”
Watson and Adler entered the boarding house in that tense state.
“… Miss Watson.”
“What?”
“Do you think I’m ruining Charlotte Holmes too?”
As Watson ascended the stairs, she replied with a sardonic smile as Adler followed along with her.
“Didn’t you already know about that clearly?”
“……..”
“To her, you are even more stimulating and harmful than any drug in existence.”
Her gaze was filled with deep disgust as she looked at him.
“Not just that. You’re even getting in the way of my love life.”
“That’s…”
“It’s not something I should say as a proper lady of London, and as a doctor for that matter…”
At the same time, a cold voice emanated from her mouth.
“I wish you would just die from a terminal illness.”
“………”
“… If you understand what I mean, then leave. Don’t bother us anymore.”
Nevertheless, as Adler continued with a bitter smile following her into her room, Watson’s eyes blazed with wrath as she uttered.
“If you’re looking for Holmes, you’re out of luck. Judging by her absence in her room, she might be out.”
“… Is that so?”
“It’s for the best. For the past few days, she had just been sitting blankly in her armchair. She must have had a change of heart and gone out.”
Simultaneously, she began to rummage through a drawer.
“Anyway, this is your last warning.”
Soon after, she pulled out a gleaming black pistol and pointed it threateningly at Adler.
“If you don’t leave right now…”
“I didn’t come here to see Charlotte.”
“What?”
“I came to see you.”
But at Adler’s subsequent remarks, she couldn’t help but her head, her eyes narrowing in confusion.
“What are you talking about?”
“I want a thorough examination. As a patient.”
“… What?”
Seeing the serious expression on Adler’s face, a look of distrust spread across her face.
“Do you even know how many doctors there are in London?”
“There aren’t many as skilled as you.”
“I don’t know what you’re up to, but it’s best if you just leave…”
“… You’re the only one I can trust right now.”
Adler’s eyes were filled with genuine desperation as he said those words.
“I’ve been examined several times and almost got assassinated in the process. Now, you’re the only one I can trust to examine me.”
“… You think that I wouldn’t do the same?”
“I believe I can entrust myself to Miss Watson.”
A palpable silence thus ensued.
“… You’re really quite pitiful.”
Watson, after much contemplation, finally lowered her pistol and sighed deeply.
“Living a life where you can’t even get a proper medical examination. Well, it’s all due to your karma.”
“……….”
“… But as a doctor, I can’t just ignore you.”
Her voice mellowed as she spoke those words.
“Sit over there. It’s not a hospital, so I can’t do a thorough examination, but I can at least check your general mana circuit and the flow of your blood vessels.”
“… Thank you.”
“But once you’ve been examined, never come back here again.”
As she took out her medical coat and stethoscope from her bag, she added those words, glaring dangerously toward Adler.
“If you have that much spare time, stop bothering Holmes and pester someone else.”
“………”
“Don’t you think you should be doing something productive with your long life?”
At those words, Adler simply responded with a quiet and self-deprecating smile.
.
.
.
.
.
Thus, as Rachel Watson’s examination was about to begin—
“………..”
Charlotte, hiding in the closet across the room, quietly watched the scene play out through a slightly opened gap.
“… What’s with these wounds on your body?”
“Don’t mind them, please…”
Why had she done it? The moment Charlotte heard Adler’s conversation with Watson coming from the first floor, instinctively, she crawled into the closet at lightning speeds.
“Close your eyes and make your mana resonate.”
“Like this?”
“Yes, just like that…”
Was it because she couldn’t forget the disgusting behavior she had displayed in front of Adler during the last incident?
Was it the shame of having made a series of fatal mistakes as a detective?
Or did she want to avoid facing Adler while harboring emotions that were neither fully understood nor properly defined?
“… Huh?”
“What’s wrong?”
Charlotte herself didn’t quite understand why she had hidden herself. So, she just huddled pitifully in the closet, ceaselessly watching Adler through the sliver of light coming from the gap.
“Uh… um…”
Cold sweat began to trickle down Watson’s face as she examined Adler.
“Um, there…”
“………”
“… Please, can you not joke and do it properly?”
After a moment’s hesitation, she spoke to Adler with a slight tremble in her voice.
“I did it properly.”
Yet, Adler responded with a quiet smile on his face.
“Is the result not good?”
“Well, that’s… I mean… um…”
Rachel Watson’s face paled as she began to stammer, recalling the harsh words she had spoken to Adler earlier.
“It’s alright. I know my body the best.”
But Isaac Adler, with a rather gentle tone, tried to reassure her and asked her a question.
“I’m just curious about how much time I have left.”
Watson’s eyes began to waver after hearing him speak.
“Is it 2 years?”
“………”
“1 year? Or perhaps, 6 months?”
Adler’s innocent voice echoed throughout the room.
“How long do I have left?”
“”………..””
“Oh, and by the way, keep this a secret from Miss Holmes, okay?”
At that moment, both women felt a dizzying sensation wash over them, each in a different sense of the word.
Translator’s Note: I would like to apologize for not posting anything for a week and a half. I had both exams and sickness to deal with so I wasn’t able to do my duties for Genesis. I will try to amend them this month and stick to the 12-a-month schedule, maybe more. I don’t have any fixed dates but 3 chapters a week, starting from Friday as the first day of the week as it was the first day this month, will be guaranteed from now on. I again apologize, but life was lifeing, couldn’t do anything about it. I hope everyone understands.
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